Blog (Page 217)

Jeremiah 20:7-9 “O Lord, you have enticed me, and I was enticed; you have overpowered me, and you have prevailed. I have become a laughingstock all day long; everyone mocks me.” vs. 7 Jeremiah was unhappy…and he blames the Lord. Somehow he had gotten talked into being a prophet and it wasn’t turning out well. Maybe he had thought his call would bring him enhanced status, that like a much-loved pastor he could bask in the love of his people.…

Matthew 10:1-8 “Then Jesus summoned his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to cure every disease and every sickness.” vs. 1 It didn’t take long for Jesus to figure out that he was going to need some help. The response to his ministry of healing was overwhelming and large crowds gathered in every village. His solution was obvious: he gave the twelve disciples authority to cast out demons and cure diseases…though he…

 Matthew 9:35-38 “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” vs. 36 As Jesus began his ministry in Galilee, teaching in the synagogues, proclaiming good news, and curing every disease and sickness, he was overwhelmed by the profound needs of the people. They came by the hundreds, almost more than he could deal with, and they reminded him of sheep without a shepherd. They were easy prey…

Romans 5:6-8 “But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us.” vs. 8 It’s hard for us to truly believe that we are loved…even by those who are closest to us. Though they tell us again and again that we are precious and dear to them, there’s a little voice within that says, “Really? I don’t think so.” And if we have stuff on our conscience, things that we’ve done a…

Romans 5:1-5 “Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand; and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God.” vss. 1-2 People of faith are free to worry about any number of things…and most of us do! We worry about economics, children, parents, politics, terrorism…the list goes on and on, and probably varies from day…

Psalm 100:1-5 “For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.” vs. 5 For one reason or another, God suffers from a bad reputation. Ugly rumors and misleading anecdotes have been passed from generation to generation and, as a result, countless people have come to believe that God is angry and vengeful. Even worse than that, for many–God is thought of as remote and unapproachable–an impotent force in their daily lives. That certainly…

Exodus 19:5-8a “So Moses came, summoned the elders of the people, and set before them all these words that the Lord had commanded him. The people all answered as one: ‘Everything that the Lord has spoken we will do.’” vss. 7-8 In the context of the wilderness wanderings, the response of the Israelites to Moses’ words almost sound like a joke. We know the rest of the story! We’ve read about the grumbling and the idolatry, the bickering and the…

Exodus 19:2-4 “You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself.” vs. 4 The song, Eagle’s Wings, is a favorite for many and we often hear it sung as a vocal solo during worship services as a comforting reminder of Psalm 91. The chorus then picks up this little verse from Exodus and uses it to provide an image of a rescuing and saving God. For Israel,…

Matthew 28:18-20 “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you.” vss. 19-20 The Great Commission provides a simple, uncomplicated formula for the mission of the Church. Only two things are included in the authorization to make disciples: baptizing and teaching. We’ve done a pretty good job with the first part of the…

Matthew 28:16-17 “When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted.” vs. 17 Sometimes things just seem too good to be true! That was the experience of the disciples when they reconnected with Jesus on the mountain in Galilee. According to Matthew, the disciples didn’t have a resurrection encounter with Jesus that first Easter morning. They knew the tomb was empty and they had received the message given by Jesus to the women, that they should go to Galilee.…

2 Corinthians 13:11-13 “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with all of you.” vs. 13 Paul’s concluding words to the Corinthian congregation sum up his deepest desires for them as they continued the adventure they had begun in Christ Jesus. They’re familiar words and some of us hear them regularly as a part of the liturgy. In only three phrases, Paul captures the essence of true Christian…

Psalm 8:5-9 “Yet you have made them a little lower than God, and crowned them with glory and honor.” vs. 5 Occasionally, in a moment of embarrassment or guilt, the phrase, “Well, I’m only human,” slips from our lips. It’s meant to be an excuse for poor behavior, as though nothing better can be expected from folks who have barely made it past the bottom rung of evolution. The psalmist would call such talk a slap in the face of…